MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon and Knox County are unique in presenting a united front on coordinating ways to benefit from Intel’s future manufacturing plant in neighboring Licking County, the head of the Area Development Foundation told City Council during a recent meeting.
The $20 billion investment will build two semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Ohio’s largest economic development project, said Jeff Gottke, ADF president. The project is expected to create 3,000 permanent jobs.
“What's interesting for us is that 70% of them will be at that technician [level], which would be like the fabricator level,” he said. “So, when we think about opportunities for Knox County, it may be to capture some of those 3,000 workers to live here because that's kind of our strong suit.”
Mount Vernon’s biggest opportunity is to attract workers being paid from that estimated $405 million annual payroll and to capture some of that spend on businesses, he said.
“That's an awful lot of money that's going to be pumped into Central Ohio. We need to try to capture as much of that as we can,” he said.
Intel says construction will begin by the end of the year with the plants going operational by 2025.
“What everybody's telling me is that Knox County will grow, Mount Vernon probably first because it's the most ready,” Gottke said. The county has the workforce and quality of life to attract new workers and businesses, he added.
He expects that growth to begin in a couple of years, five at most.
The ADF reconvened its Intel Steering Committee to work on a strategy. It will engage with consultants to focus primarily on housing and commercial sites.
“As you all know, we're way behind in housing. And I think we're way behind in commercial sites, too, if we want to land those suppliers, or Intel or just more manufacturers in general,” he said.
Manufacturers don’t have many places to go outside of Cooper Progress Park or Fredericktown, he said.
Mansfield Avenue intersections will get audible traffic signals
City Council approved legislation enabling the installation of accessible crosswalk signals during the construction of new or reconstruction of existing intersections. The ordinance was a response to community members' concerns about accessibility for the visually impaired.
“We pride ourselves on being a walkable community, and this fits perfectly with the Complete Streets legislation we passed in 2021,” Councilmember Amber Keener said in a release. “My goal continues to be making Mount Vernon a welcoming place for everyone.”
City funding is limited when it comes to making widespread changes, but this method will make the city more visitor- and resident-friendly, she said. The process began eight months ago.
Two of the city’s next traffic signals to be installed will include the auditor sensors for Mansfield Avenue at the Belmont Avenue and Nuce Road/Nash Street intersections. They will be funded with a $120,000 Ohio Public Works grant and matching city funds, said Emily Platt, contracted project manager for the city.
